Cinnamon may help support blood sugar management by increasing insulin sensitivity, decreasing blood sugar levels after eating, and reducing the risk of diabetes-related complications.

Diabetes impairs your body’s ability to regulate its blood sugar, and this can lead to long-term complications like heart disease, kidney disease, and nerve damage.

Treatment often includes medications and insulin injections, but many people are also interested in foods that can help lower blood sugar. One example is cinnamon, a commonly used spice that’s added to sweet and savory dishes around the world.

It provides many health benefits, including the ability to help lower blood sugar, which can be useful in managing diabetes. There are a few different varieties of cinnamon you’ll find in grocery stores, but they’re usually categorized into two different types:

  • Ceylon: Also called true cinnamon, this is the most expensive type of cinnamon.
  • Cassia: This type is less expensive and found in most food products that contain cinnamon.

This article tells you everything you need to know about cinnamon and its effects on blood sugar management and diabetes.

It contains antioxidants that provide many health benefits

A quick glance at cinnamon’s nutrition facts may not lead you to believe that it’s often considered a “superfood.” However, while a single teaspoon doesn’t contain a lot of vitamins and minerals, many recipes call for more than that.

In higher quantities, it provides a decent dose of antioxidants. These contribute to many of cinnamon’s health benefits.

Antioxidants are important because they help the body reduce oxidative stress, a type of damage to cells that is caused by harmful free radicals. This is significant because oxidative stress has been linked to the development of nearly every chronic disease, including type 2 diabetes.

It can imitate insulin and increase insulin sensitivity

In people with diabetes, either their pancreas cannot produce enough insulin or cells do not respond to insulin properly, leading to high blood sugar levels.

Cinnamon may help lower blood sugar by imitating the effects of insulin, helping to move sugar from the bloodstream and into your cells. It can also increase your insulin sensitivity, making insulin more efficient at moving sugar into cells.

One study of 80 people with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) found that taking 1.5 grams (g) of cinnamon powder daily for 12 weeks significantly reduced fasting insulin levels and improved insulin sensitivity compared with a placebo.

It lowers fasting blood sugar and may decrease hemoglobin A1c

Several studies suggest that cinnamon may help improve blood sugar management.

For example, a 2019 systematic review of studies on people with type 2 diabetes and prediabetes concluded that cinnamon could significantly reduce fasting blood sugar levels and insulin resistance compared with a placebo.

Some studies have also found that it could also lower hemoglobin A1c, a measure of long-term blood sugar control.

A 2018 review reported that cinnamon could reduce hemoglobin A1c in people with type 2 diabetes by 0.27% to 0.83%. It also reduced fasting blood sugar levels by up to 52.2 mg per deciliter.

However, researchers also noted that more studies are needed to understand its effects.

Cinnamon should not be used in place of medications or diet and lifestyle changes to manage blood sugar levels.

It lowers blood sugar after meals

Postprandial blood sugar refers to your blood sugar level after eating. Blood sugar levels can increase quite a bit after you eat depending on the size of the meal and how many carbs it contains.

These blood sugar shifts can increase levels of oxidative stress and inflammation, which can damage your body’s cells and contribute to chronic disease.

Cinnamon can help keep these blood sugar spikes after meals in check. Some research suggests that it does this by slowing down the rate at which food empties out of your stomach.

Other studies suggest that it may lower blood sugar following meals by blocking digestive enzymes that break down carbs.

It may lower the risk of common diabetes complications

In addition to supporting blood sugar management, cinnamon may also lower the risk of certain complications such as heart disease and stroke.

A 2020 meta-analysis found that supplementing with at least 2 g of cinnamon per day could significantly lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure over 8 weeks.

Diabetes has also been increasingly linked to the development of Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia, with some people now referring to Alzheimer’s disease as type 3 diabetes. However, the classification of type 3 diabetes is highly controversial, and the medical community does not widely accept it.

Ceylon vs. Cassia: Which is better?

Cinnamon is typically grouped into two different types: Ceylon and Cassia.

Cassia cinnamon can be derived from a few different species of Cinnamomum trees. It’s generally inexpensive and is found in most food products and the spice aisle of the grocery store.

On the other hand, Ceylon is specifically derived from the Cinnamomum verum tree. It’s typically more expensive and less widely available, but studies have shown that it contains more antioxidants.

Because of this, it’s possible that Ceylon cinnamon may offer more health benefits.

Although several animal and test-tube studies have highlighted the benefits of Ceylon cinnamon, most studies demonstrating the health benefits of cinnamon in humans have used the Cassia variety.

Cassia cinnamon is not only lower in antioxidants but also high in a potentially harmful substance called coumarin, an organic substance found in many plants.

Several studies in rats have shown coumarin can be toxic to the liver in large doses, leading to concern that it may cause liver damage in humans as well.

Accordingly, the European Food Safety Authority has set the tolerable daily intake for coumarin at 0.045 mg per pound (lb.), or 0.1 mg per kilogram (kg). Using average coumarin levels for Cassia, this would be equivalent to about half a teaspoon (2.5 g) of cinnamon per day for a 165-pound person.

Cassia cinnamon is particularly high in coumarin, and you can easily consume more than the upper limit by taking Cassia cinnamon supplements or even eating large amounts of it in foods.

However, Ceylon cinnamon contains much lower amounts of coumarin, and it would be difficult to consume more than the recommended amount of coumarin with this type.

Keep in mind that there’s limited information on the long-term safety of cinnamon supplements for children and people who are pregnant or nursing. Additionally, people with diabetes who take medications or insulin should talk with a doctor before adding cinnamon to their daily routine.

How much should you take?

Cinnamon’s benefits for lowering blood sugar are well-researched. Despite this, there isn’t a consensus on how much you should consume to reap the potential benefits while avoiding potential risks.

Most research has studied the effects of 1 to 6 g per day.

However, keep in mind that the coumarin content of Cassia cinnamon can vary. That’s why it may be best to stick to lower doses of around 0.5 to 1 g of Cassia cinnamon per day to avoid surpassing the tolerable daily intake of coumarin.

On the other hand, Ceylon cinnamon contains significantly less coumarin and can be consumed safely in higher doses.

Be sure to speak with a doctor before adding cinnamon supplements to your routine. To avoid adverse health effects, you may want to start with a lower dose and work your way up.

The bottom line

Many studies have suggested that cinnamon can lower blood sugar and help manage common diabetes complications, among other health benefits.

If you want to take a cinnamon supplement or add it to your meals to help lower your blood sugar, it may be best to use Ceylon instead of Cassia. Despite its higher price point, it contains more antioxidants and less potentially harmful coumarin.

It’s a good idea to speak with your doctor before adding significant doses of cinnamon to your diet. And if you have diabetes or prediabetes, you shouldn’t use it as a replacement for your medication.